Steering mechanism for airships.



-' 3 J. S HUTTB. I STEERING MECHANISM FOR AIRSHIPS. 'n rmcrnox rum) JULY14, 1909. v 7 997 419, v Patented July 11,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 J. SOHU TTR- STEERING MECHANISM FOR AIRSHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14,1909.

997,41 9. Patented Jul 11, 1911. a SHEETS-SHEET z.

I M W "Inventor. itnesses. Q/ 3 UNITED sTArEs PATENT orricai.

J'OHANN sciriir'rn, or LANGFUHB, NEAR DA'NZIG, GERMANY.

STEERING MECHANISM FOR AIRSHIPS.

use the same, reference being had to the acv companying drawings, and toletters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthisspecification.

My invention relates to steering apparatus for air-shi s and has for itsobject to unite in a sing e mechanism means for ascending, steering andstabilizing the airship, there being one or more of such devices on eachside of the air-ship, andinec'hanism whereby they may be simultaneouslyactuated, together with details of construc-' tion hereinafter to beparticularly pointed out and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, in which like partsare similarly designated,Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through an air-ship and its car,and a single mechanism {on one side of the air-ship, for ascending,steering and balancing the air-ship, this mechanism being duplicated onthe other side of the detail partly in section.

air-ship. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the steering mechanism. Fig. 3is a plan'view of a portion of the same. Fig. 1 is a section on the line(1-?) of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of thesteering-mechanism support and Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of Fig.6. v I

The outer surface or casing of the balloon is indicated at B and mayconsist of a frame-work of any suitable description.

G indicates the car of any description connected to the frame-work B ofthe halgear wheel e loon and which contains a motor T) of any suitabledescription, capable of driving a This gear wheel meshes with a gearwheel .2 capable of drivin a shaft 2 which shaftcarries at each end evelgear wheels 3 meshing respectively with bevel Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed July 14, 1909. SerialNo. 507,551.

Patented July 11, 1911.

V gear wheels 4 on a flexible driving shaft 9,

said driving shaft being here shown as formed of two sections connectedby a Cardan or universal joint 5.

The upper end of the driving shaft 9 is j ournaled in a bearing'tiformed in a bracket 19 (Figs. 6 and 7 which is connected to the framework B of the balloon and said driving shaft carries a bevel gear 7which meshes with a gear 8 fixed on the lower end of a shaft 9, which isjournaled in a bearing 6 formed in the bracket 19. The upper end of theshaft 9 carries apropeller P which is surrounded by a forked frame Q,Fig. 1,

mounted on horizontal pivots 11 journaled in bearings 6 also formed insaid bracket 19. The gear wheel 2 or gear. wheel 2, as the case may be,is capable of being shifted on its shaft whereby the driving mechanismfor the propeller P may be connected and disconnected from the motor.

The forked frame Q, carriesbox-like skeleton extensions 10, one on eachside of the center thereof. Each extension has a horizontal medialframing 10. dividing these extensions into upper and lower portions.Secure-d across the framing on the bottom and the top thereof are planescomposed of a number of sections f, f F, f of asuitable fabric andmounted within the frame in the upper and lower sectionsthereof,.between the planes are a number of rudders Z Z Z each providedwith a vertical shaft 12 and on'the upper end of each is secured a crossarm j. I

Mounted above the center of the framing is a disk or wheel 13 locatedintermediate the sides of the framing 10. Preferably directly over thecenter of oscillation of the framing extending over and along theframing and pivotally connected at diametrically opposite pointsof thewheel13 are rods 6,

one on each side of the center of the traming and wheel 13. These rodsare substan- "tially parallel to one another and between 15 passing overa guide or a guide pulley 16 and being guided in any desired manner downto the car. These ropes are manipu lated by hand in order to set therudders Z, Z, Z as may be desired. on one side of the air-ship or on theother side independently of one another. The :lramiug carries in eachside of the center of oscillation ll thereof a toothed sector 2' havingfor center the axis of oscillation 2, of the frame. ()pposite each rackz' is a sector 2', secured to the framing ll of the balloon, serving forguiding. the structure of which is more clearly shown in Fig. In orderto facilitate such guidance, rollers 2' and i are prvided, running onthe parts 2" and 2' respectively. ll'ith the racks '17 mesh pinions icarried by shafts 1' extending from the rack 'toward the center .2, .2of oscillation of the training, there being one of these shafts on eachside of said center and both. of these shafts r carry bevel gear wheelsBoth of the pinions 2* mesh with a bevel gear 2- on lbw-end of a jointedoperating shaft g carrying at, its lower end Within the car a bevelwheel which in turn is actuated by a bevel wheel 2 on a. shaft rcarrying a bevel gear wheel 17, operated by a bevel gear wheel 18 on theshaft of a steering Wheel h.

The trainings on e; :h side of the air-ship are simultaneously swung ontheir axes of oscillation by the steering wheel it as will be ob- 'viousfrom an inspection of Fig. 1.

By operating the steering wheel h the shaft 7' is rotated, impartingrotation to the jointed shaft and the gear wheel a which in turn rotatesthegear wheel e on each side of its center in opposite directionsthereby rotating the shafts r in opposite direc tions at the same-speedto swing the framing Q about its center'ot oscillation 5y means of thisdevice. it is possible to cause the airship to ascend or descend withoutaltering the horizontal position of the latter. The extent of swing forthe proper op eration ot the air-ship should not exceed. as anyinclinations of the air-ship are disadvantageous to the motors.

I claim 1. In an air-ship, the combination with the balloon thereof anda car suspended beneath the latter, of a framing on each sideof theballoon inclu ding planes a nd rudtiers, mechanism to rock the framessimultaneously on horizontal axes, and m ans to swing the rudders.

2. .In an air-ship, the combination with the balloon thereof and a carsuspended beneath the latter, of a framing on each side of the balloonincluding planes and rudders, mechanism to rock the frames on horizontalaxes, a propeller mounted centrally in. each frame and independentthereof, and mechanism for driving the proocllers.

3. In an air-ship the combination with the balloon thcreot, ot asteering mechanism comprising a framing on each side of the balloon,planes and rudders on the traming, mechanism to rock the framessimultaneously on horizontal axes, independent means to swing therudders, a propeller mounted centrally in each frame and independentthereot, and mechanism for driving the propeller.

4-. In an air-ship the coi'nbination with the balloon, the car, andmotor; of a propeller, mechanism for driving the same,'means to connectand disconnect said mechanism from the motor, a pivotally mountedtraining, racks on the balloon and framing, pinions meshing with theracks, means to operate the pinion from the car, a plane on the tramingand pivoted rudders in the framing.

5. in an air-ship, the combination with the balloon, a car and motor, ofa propeller on each side of the balloon, operating mech anism connectingthe motor and. propellers, a horizontally pivoted plane carrying framesurroumling each propeller, segmental racks mounted on the ba lloon/ andtran'iing on each side of the pivots, pini'ons meshing with the racks,gears connected with said pinions mounted on each side of said pivots, abevel gear in mesh with said gears, and means to operate the bevel gearfrom the car.

(3. ln an air-ship, the combination with the balloon, a car suspendedbeneath the balloon, and a motor in the car, of a propellcr rotatable ona. vertical axis on each side of the balloon. operating mechai'iismconnecting the motor and pria'wellers, a torlreiil frame surroui'idiugeach propeller mounted on horizontal pivots and having extension memberson each side-oi the pivots, horizontal planes on the extension members,and vertically mounted rudders pivoted between the planes.

7. in an air-ship, the combination with the balloon, a car suspendedbeneath the balloon, and a motor in the car, of a propeller rotatable ona vertical axis on each side of the balloon, operating mechanismconnecting the motor and propellers, a tor-lied frame surrounding eachpropeller mounted on l'i'orizontal pivots and having extension.lllQlTllJtlI'S on each side of the pivots, horizontal planes on theextension membe vert ically mounted rudders pivot-ed between the planesand means to rock the frames simultaneously.

8. ln'anhir-ship, the combination With the balloon, a car suspendedbeneath the balloon, and a motor in the car, of a propeller rotatable ona vertical axis on each side of the balloon, operating mechanismconnecting the motor and propellers, a forked 'trame surrounding eachpropeller mounted on horizontal pivots and having extension members oneach side of the pivas my invention, I have signed my name in ots,horizontulplunes on'the extension mempresence of two subscnbmgwitnesses. bers, VQI'LICaHy mounted rudders pivoted between the planes,means to rock the frames JOHANN SOHUTTE' 5 simultaneously, and means toswing the rud- Witnesses ders on their axes. PROF. Z TMER,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing KARL WALTHER.

